Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Spring Concert Review

Angelika Stegmann, Owner of Stegmann's Performing Arts wrote this article reviewing our Spring Concert.

Dancing in A Garden Tale With Squirrels

The parents of the little dancers who performed in this year’s recital “A Garden Tale” showed happy faces while waiting in the lobby. Not only were they excited to finally watch their children dance on stage but they didn’t have to drive the forty minutes to Columbia State Community College to do so.

Thanks to new principal Dr. Todd Campbell, Independence High School had opened their theater to local dance school Tennessee Dance Arts Conservatory, which showed an abundance of little garden critters in 2 performances on May 28 and 29. Nevertheless, before the first dance “Sunrise,” a solo performed by Katie Messina, artistic director Megan White gave out the 2010 awards.

Madison Hopkins, who performed a solo as the red Robin, received the “Student of the Year” award. The “Young Dancer Award” went to Delaney Toale, a Ballet 1 student dancing in “Perfect Petals,” and the “Most Improved” award went to the above-mentioned Katie Messina, who danced an impression as “The Fairy of Light” to live music performed by Doug Smith.

“Little Mousies” were chasing “Hungry Caterpillars and Beautiful Butterflies”; the “Perfect Petals” were followed by the “Bitty Bumble Bees”. Foxes, bunnies, and frogs were all part of the “Garden Tale,” with “Rolling Ivy” letting us take a glimpse into the woods. “Booming Black Widows’, “Fluttering Friends”, “Rocking Robins”, “Rhythmic Wood Peckers”, and “Garden Gnomes” all showed us their dances in various styles such as ballet, tap, jazz, and modern.

When the “Little Squirrel Ditty” tappers were dancing on stage, a bitty bumblebee could not keep her feet still. She shuffled along in the aisle to the music by Louis Jones before the second act concluded with Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake”, danced by girls of Ballet 3. Five swans on pointe began the dance, followed by a short solo of the only adult dancer, Cindy Bellini, and concluded with all swans, now without pointe shoes, in the dramatic climax.

The third act was opened with “Les Sylphides”, whose composer was mistakenly referred as Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky but should have been Frederic Chopin. The creatures of the night, the “Owls”, “Jail House Raccoons”, “Funky Skunks”, and “Blackbirds” finished the recital.

It was disappointing that so many parents left with their Creative Movement dancers after the intermission. It should be a dance school’s obligation to educate their dancers from early age on to appreciate other dancers.

A special mention deserves Gianna Curless, dancing in tap 1, jazz 1 and ballet 1 who stood out, thanks to her stage presence and her clean execution of the technique.


By Angelika Stegmann

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

June 15th

Happy Birthday TDAC!!

We are 1 year old today.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Fall Schedule

We have made a few changes to the fall schedule. It is now finalized and will be emailed to all our current students.
The website is mostly updated with class descriptions, dress code, tuition, and policies. The actual schedule page may be a few more days.

Note that we are adding a Music Appreciation class. This 1 hour class for students ages 8 & up touches on Music Theory, Music History, Group Piano and Basic Voice. This class is a 10 week workshop that will start after Labor Day. We are going to be sending out an email inquiring about when you all would like to see that in the schedule.

Lastly, the 1x a month tumbling class has not been set in stone. We're going to be taking a group of dancers 1 time each month to work with some coach's at Let It Shine. This will be for all different level students ages 8 & up. This group will more than likely meet on Fridays and pay a drop in fee.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE FULL PDF

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Intermediate Dance Camp

Students this week took 25 hours of dance in 1 week. Most of them by day two were too sore to move, but the dancing went on.
The intermediate dance camp started off each morning with 1.5 of ballet. Then students rotated with classical jazz and musical theater jazz. Students learned numbers from Chicago, Sweet Charity, and Pajama Game. During lunch our resident licensed dietician discussed health and nutrition. After lunch students rotated with Modern, Improv, Choreography, Dance Media, and Pilates.

Students learned choreography by Ms. Lindsey and Ms. Brook. There is some video of them rehearsing on the last day of camp on our face book.

With Ms. Megan students learned about dance photography. Students experienced being the photographer and being the dancer. Each student had a chance to take pictures of their friends. Afterwards, all the pictures were uploaded and discussed.


During Improv and Choreography students were encouraged to find 3 interesting shapes. They used this shape to begin the choreography process, but we also captured them with some unusual light. The girls were in the photography mood so it was only natural.



Wednesday, June 9, 2010

June Updates

Still taking Summer registrations!
Ask about our refer a friend program to receive a free summer camp!

Fall Schedule is in the process of being uploaded onto the website. Please refer to Class Description for the most up to date info on the Fall Schedule.

Returning Student Registration- June 19th 1:00-4:00
New Student Registration July 24 1:00-4:00 & July 31 10:00-12:00
You can register via email anytime after June 20th.

*First months tuition is due at registration. This is a non refundable fee.
*If you set up AutoPay with us you receive 10 % discount off that first months tuition.
*There is a 1x $5.00 office fee.
* Instead of a registration fee we ask that every student donates either 1 roll of toilet paper, paper towel, box of tissues, or container of hand soap.


Congratulations to our 2010 Award Winners
Madison Hopkins
Katie Messina
Delaney Toale

and 2010 High School Graduate
Kirsten Nelson
BRAVO ALL DANCERS WHO ATTENDED THE SPRING CONCERT!! WONDERFUL JOB.

We also want to recognize students Mikala Curless and Madison Hopkins for being awarded scholarships by Nashville Ballet to their Summer Intensive!

Thank you!
Megan White
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